St. Paul, Minnesota, USA - Although he was in town just last fall, Bob Dylan returns to St. Paul on Wednesday to headline Midway Stadium with his package tour, the AmericanaramA Festival of Music. If you're heading to the sold-out show, here are a few things to keep in mind about what could become the summer's most memorable outdoor gig:

Expect a tight schedule: There are four acts on the bill, including Richard Thompson, My Morning Jacket and Wilco. The tour started last week with the Grateful Dead's Bob Weir in place of Thompson, and it appears Thompson will get about a half-hour onstage, probably starting right at 5:30 p.m. MMJ and Wilco's sets are likely to hover close to the hour mark, with Wilco getting a bit more time. Dylan has been playing around 90 minutes, roughly the same amount of time he spent onstage at his November Xcel Energy Center show.

There may be some onstage collaborations: Jim James, My Morning Jacket's lead singer, recently told Rolling Stone that even though his band had opened for Dylan in the past, he had yet to meet the man in person. "Never seen him, never smelled him, never caught a trace of him," James said. But during the tour's first week, Weir sat in with both Wilco and My Morning Jacket, and that collaborative spirit may continue with Thompson. There has even been word that Dylan may mix it up onstage with one or more of the openers. Last fall at the X, opener Mark Knopfler sat in with Dylan for several songs.

Dylan is playing a lot of new songs: At least for Dylan, that is. He still regularly releases new studio albums, but it usually takes years for those fresh numbers to make it onto his concert set lists, if they ever do at all. At the X, he surprised some long-timers when he slipped in "Early Roman Kings," a track from his album "Tempest," which was all of 2 months old at the time. During his most recent shows, Dylan has played as many as three "Tempest" cuts, which means the Midway Stadium show is likely to feature a few songs making their Twin Cities live debut.

Duluth gets Dylan first: The AmericanaramA tour hits Duluth's Bayfront Park on Tuesday, which gives hardcore fans the chance to catch the show two nights in a row with just a few extra hours in the car. From there, Dylan hits Illinois (Peoria on July 11 and outside of Chicago on July 12) and Michigan (suburban Detroit on July 14).

Don't go looking for any flashy online photo galleries: Dylan typically does not allow press photographers into his live shows. This one is no exception, and the photo ban extends to the other acts on the bill, as well.

Joined: Sat June 1st, 2013, 08:42 GMTPosts: 5873Location: on a rail leading West

Welcome to MIdway Stadium

Did You Know?The Twin Cities is only one of two places in America that support two full-time, professional orchestras: The Minnesota Orchestra and The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. (The other city is New York City.)

The Minnesota Orchestra, now in its second century and led by Music Director Osmo Vänskä, ranks among America’s top symphonic ensembles, with a distinguished history of acclaimed performances in its home state and around the world; award-winning recordings, radio broadcasts and educational outreach programs; and a visionary commitment to building the orchestral repertoire of tomorrow.Founded as the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra, the ensemble gave its inaugural performance on November 5, 1903, shortly after baseball’s first World Series and six weeks before the Wright brothers made their unprecedented airplane flight. The Orchestra played its first regional tour in 1907 and made its New York City debut in 1912 at Carnegie Hall, where it has performed regularly ever since. Outside the United States, the Orchestra has played concerts in Australia, Canada, Europe, the Far East, Latin America and the Middle East. Since 1968 it has been known as the Minnesota Orchestra. Today the ensemble presents nearly 175 programs each year, primarily at its home venue of Orchestra Hall in downtown Minneapolis, and its concerts are heard by live audiences of 350,000 annually.

The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, now in its 52nd season, is the nation’s only full-time professional chamber orchestra and is widely regarded as one of the finest chamber orchestras in the world. The SPCO has released 67 recordings, commissioned 127 new works, and performed the world premiere of 49 additional compositions. - See more at: http://www.thespco.org/about-us/history ... 3wEan.dpuf

I suddenly find myself with a last-minute ticket available for this show. Face value is $68 - I'll accept this, or make me an offer. I need to hear from you by 2 PM CST as this is when I will be leaving work to head over to St. Paul (I live quite a ways away in WI).

I suddenly find myself with a last-minute ticket available for this show. Face value is $68 - I'll accept this, or make me an offer. I need to hear from you by 2 PM CST as this is when I will be leaving work to head over to St. Paul (I live quite a ways away in WI).

I suddenly find myself with a last-minute ticket available for this show. Face value is $68 - I'll accept this, or make me an offer. I need to hear from you by 2 PM CST as this is when I will be leaving work to head over to St. Paul (I live quite a ways away in WI).

KoB

Sold.

Hopefully it was an extra and you are still going. Is that the case?Or will you be drinking a case because you can't go?

Nicholas, I beg of you,Drop something into my shoe,Something sweet or sweeter.Thank you, Saint and Peter!Put your long red mantle on,St. Nicholas, good and holy man,Drive your sleigh from AmsterdamAnd find us quickly if you can.—Traditional Dutch

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